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President Trump signs order intended to stabilize college sports, threatens lost federal funding
The order sets a five-season limit and lets athletes transfer once without sitting out, while threatening federal funding for schools that ignore NCAA rules.
- On Friday, April 3, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order limiting how often student-athletes can transfer schools and restricting their total eligibility to play college sports.
- This second attempt by the administration aims to increase National Collegiate Athletic Association control over sports programs, following a July 2025 executive order that failed to significantly change industry governance.
- The order restricts athletes to five seasons of competition within a five-year window and allows only one transfer, threatening to revoke federal funding for universities that do not comply.
- While Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Maria Cantwell negotiate bipartisan legislation, Congress has not held a full vote on college sports reform, and the SCORE Act has stalled for years.
- Amid a $2.8 billion settlement regarding retroactive NIL compensation, the debate over whether college athletes should be classified as university employees remains the primary obstacle to reaching a sustainable legislative compromise.
41 Articles
41 Articles
President Donald Trump signs order intended to stabilize college sports, threatens lost federal funding
Among the notable parts of the order was a call to establish “clear, consistent and fair eligibility limits, including a five-year participation window.”
Trump issues executive order to bolster college sports rules
WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Friday that aims to reinforce the rules of college sports in a bid to restore financial stability and protect the future of college athletics. Friday’s order directs federal agencies to bolster the effectiveness of key college-sports rules on transferring, eligibility and pay-for-play. It seeks evaluations on whether any violations of such rules render a u…
Trump issues widespread NIL executive order in attempt to fix college athletics
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday in his attempt to "solve all of the problems" affecting college sports, particularly the polarizing Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) legislation.
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